


understanding

by AutisticWriter



Series: Riley's Prompt Meme Fills [34]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Autism, Autism Spectrum, Autistic Peridot (Steven Universe), Coming Out, Established Relationship, Ficlet, Fluff, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Gift Fic, Holding Hands, Love, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Peridot (Steven Universe), Other, Sweet, Worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-13
Updated: 2019-07-13
Packaged: 2020-06-27 16:11:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19794391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AutisticWriter/pseuds/AutisticWriter
Summary: After living on Earth for a while, Peridot, with the help of the internet, discovers they are nonbinary. And they are quite anxious when they decide to come out to Amethyst, but she supports them all the way.





	understanding

Peridot fidgets, tapping away at their tablet as they write increasingly illegible cheeps, their legs crossed beneath them and their body hunched so far forwards this position would surely give a human neck pain. They know they will eventually have a meltdown if they just keep bottling everything up, but… how do they say it?

“Hey, P-Dot!” Amethyst says, sauntering into the room.

She wanders over to the refrigerator and pulls a packet of frozen puff pastry out of the freezer section, and starts to much on the rock solid pastry. Peridot blinks and goes back to their tablet, wondering how she can eat these random things.

Finishing off her disgusting snack, Amethyst wanders over and flops onto the couch beside Peridot. “So, how you doin’?”

Peridot doesn’t look up. “I am having a… satisfactory day.”

“Only satisfactory, huh? If there’s something wrong, you can totally talk to me,” Amethyst says, grinning.

They stiffen, finger frozen on the screen. Peridot wants to talk to her – needs to tell her about their discovery – but how do they broach the subject?

“Peri?” Amethyst holds out her hand, silently waiting for permission to touch Peridot, but puts her hand back when they flinch away. “Seriously, are you okay?”

“I, uh…” Peridot puts down their tablet and wriggles to sit on their knees, turning to face Amethyst. They don’t make eye contact, instead focusing on her mouth. “I was doing some research on the primitive data-storage system known as the internet, and I found something… interesting.”

“Interesting, huh? Wanna tell me about it?”

They take a deep breath despite not needing to breathe. “Amethyst… gender does not exist on Homeworld, does it?”

She frowns, thinking hard. “No, I guess not. We don’t have a biological sex or anything. We’re just… Gems. But like Greg explained to me years ago, using she/her pronouns doesn’t make us women like in the Earth sense of gender. We’re still just Gems… but getting seen as women doesn’t bother us. Have I got all that right?”

Peridot nods; Amethyst just gave a very good explanation of the lack of gender in Gem culture and how incredibly different they are to humans. But the explanation doesn’t fit Peridot like it does other Gems.

“Yes, that’s correct. However… I don’t like being seen as a woman. Being called your girlfriend or being called a lady makes me… uncomfortable…” Even just thinking about it makes a shiver run through their Gem.

“Oh, I had no idea. Want me to stop it?”

“Please. But don’t feel bad. I’ve never told anyone before. I… didn’t know how to,” they say.

Amethyst tilts her head, studying them. “So… you don’t feel like me? ‘Cause I’m not a woman but I kinda follow the human idea of gender on Earth and stuff. But I’m still a sexless Gem, you know?”

“I understand. And I’m indeed not like that. Gender makes no sense to me, especially after discovering the concept of it on Earth. And… as a Gem, I hate the idea that we all must use she/her pronouns.”

Nobody means anything bad when they refer to Peridot that way; it’s just the way pronouns work on Homeworld. They are all sexless rocks who picked these pronouns out, and they all use them.

“I… dislike those pronouns. Especially now I’m on Earth and I know how… gendered they are.” Peridot lets out a sigh. “Does any of this make sense? Or am I just rambling nonsense?”

Amethyst takes her time to compose an answer. “No, it makes sense. You’re saying you don’t like Gem pronouns, you don’t like being called a woman and gender makes even less sense to you than it does to me?”

Peridot nods. “Thank you for… understanding.”

Amethyst smiles. “No problem. So, what did you find on the internet?”

“Oh, I discovered a label for humans who don’t identify as men or women. They call themselves non-binary. And… some use gender-neutral pronouns.”

“You mean like Stevonnie?”

“Yes, I assume Stevonnie would identify as nonbinary. However, I’ve never asked them. But, yes, they/them pronouns are the ones I’m referring to.”

“And… you want us to use them for you?”

Peridot’s cheeks flush a darker shade of green. “That would be… appreciated. Thank you.”

“So is this what you’ve worked yourself up about? Telling me you’re nonbinary?”

They duck their head. “Yes. I was… unable to think of the right words. Thank you for listening to my disjointed explanation.”

“You don’t need to keep thanking me, P-Dot,” Amethyst says. “But you’re welcome. I’ll tell everyone I meet, and everyone should pick up your new pronouns pretty quick.” She holds out her hand again.

This time, Peridot holds out their own hand, taking Amethyst’s hand and interlocking their fingers. They smile at her, and whisper, “I love you.”

Amethyst grins, squeezing their hand. “Love you too, Peri.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you want me to write you a short fic, drop in a prompt at my [personal prompt meme](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/AutisticWriters_Personal_Prompt_Meme)!


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